Search-light controller.



F. E. HARRIS.

SEARCH LIGHT CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. e. 1909..

v I {L '9' H WITNESSES: Q INVENTOR.

' QM M1 5 Mm A TZORNEY.

- tended to do away with the blinding glare UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

FRANK E. HARRIS, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEARCH-LIGHT CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 29, 1910. Application filed March 6, 1909. Serial No. 481,738.

5 State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and usefulv Improvements in Search-Light Controllers, of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to searchlights for automobiles and similar vehicles. It is infrom such search lights when vehicles coming from opposite directions are about to pass, or .when such vehicles are passing through thickly settled districts.

My invention comprises a suitable pedal operated preferably by the feet of the driver, from the floor of the car in front of the 'drivers-seat, "and one or more suitable connecting rods which actuate a rocking arm attached to a shade for each lantern or search light. I

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figural is a side view of the operating pedal. Fig. 2 is a back view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the light shade from the back. Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 3 from the right on line X Y. Fig. 5 is a sectional de tail view of the axle and rocking arm of the left hand light. Fig. 6 is a sectional view from the side with the shade openof the right hand light. Fig. 7 is a view from a direction perpendicular to line S T from the ,right, the lantern frame bein shown in section and the other parts in 11. Fig. 8 is a sectional view from the right showing the shade closed. Fig. 9 shows the forward part of an automobile in perspective with part of the radiator broken away showing my device attached toboth search lighte A is an automobile hood or radiator and E is the floor -or foot-board where the driver places his feet.

L is a search light of the usual acetylene pattern connected to a generator or tank by a flexible tube 24. It may be operated by electricity, oil, or any other suitable light producer.

31 is a pedal shaft which is hung transversely underfoot board E by any suitable hangers or bearings. These maybe flanged rings 21, 21,- fastened' to the inside of the side supports 22, 22, of foot board E.. Shaft 31 carries at each end an arm 32, to

theends of which are'pivoted respectively has been raised to a certain distance. sect-ions 81 82 are loosely pivoted on connecting rods 34, 34. Preferably a tension spring encircles each connectin and connects each rod support 42 wit the endof its connecting rod .By this means,

pressed forward away from the drivers seat. Shaft 31- also carries'pedal arm 52 which has an elbow 53' notched to fit under the curved pedal check or stationary ratchet 54.- in which are three V-shaped notches which rake forward. To the top of pedal arm 52 is ivoted transversely the double edal F edal F ivots to the right and eft and is provided on one side with the pawl tooth which fits the notches in" stati onary ratchet 54. The movement of ped F in the other direction is limited-by stop 61 It will be readily seen that by placing the foot on the right sideof pedal F and pushing forward, rods 34' are drawnbackward and the device can be locked by releasing'the foot pressure when tooth 60 15' in either the front, back or middle notch. From the forward position, by pressing on the left of pedal F, the tooth 60 is raised out of the notch where it rests and sprin s 40 actto pull forward the rods 34:- and hung pedal F to the extreme backward position.

Each search 1i ht lantern is provided with a collapsible sha' e H which is constructed in a general way like the vizor of an ancient helmet.- It is formed ofcurved sections 80, 81 and 82-whichnest loosely one within the other. Section is loosely hung on one side on a pivot 83 and it is preferably stiff: ened' by means of a wire 85 which is fastened to section 80in any suitable we as by staples? Wire 85 isalso connected 'y a set screw to'the hub-84; which passesthr'ough' the side of lantern Land carries a rocking arm 86. To the end of rocking arm 86 is pivoted the end of one of the rods 34. Rod 34 may. be curved upward at 35 in order to rod the rods 34 and arms 32 are normally meet rocking arm 86. I prefer to attach 011* the convexoutside of section 80,'a verticalcave si which another pin passes into section 82. These springs should bear yieldingly against the adjoining section and thus serve to keep the parts fromrattling and they=also serve to raise the lower part after the upper art pivot 83 and hub 84 respectively. The slot in the lifting springs 90 and 92 is'of a length a little less than the height of a section of the shade, and pins 91 are so located that thefirst section must rise almost its height be fore the second section will be lifted by the end of the slot reaching the pin91. The next spring and pin are similarly arranged so that when wholly raised t e sections of the shade sli htly overlap as shownjin Fig. 8. I prefera lily provide astop 93 to limit the ,downward movement of the shade.

' rested in the middle notch whereby only the lower half of the search light-will be. ob-

soured. 4 V

' M invention resides mainly in the shade insi e the search light and means for operat- .ing it from the outside. It is evident that other means than the pedal and s rings described may be used to. oscillate t e rocking arm and to control it from the drivers seat.

through the other sections,

a lantern frame,

WVhat I claim as m invention and desire to cover by Letters atent is:

' 1. A shade for automobile search lights,

which comprises a series of curved sections of different sizes which nest one within the other and are pivoted at the same points,-

and spring connections between them whereby they may be raised successively.

2. In a shade for an automobile searchlight, a pivot, a series of curved sections of varying sizes loosely mounted thereon, a hub fixed to the inside section and passed loosely and a rocking arm fixed to the hub, combined with a spring in which, is a slot on the outer side of the inner section, a headed in on the inner side of the outer section, an a sprin with a slot on the outer side and a heade pin on the inner side ofeach intermediate section, said pins and slots being in engagement.

3.'-The combination in an automobile, of a lantern frame, a source of light therein, withga pivot attached to the lantern frame, a series of curved nestin sections loosely hung on said pivot, vertica springs in which are vertical slots and headed pms in engagement with said slots attached to ad- JOIIIlIlg faces of said sections, a hub which passes through the other side of the lantern frame opposite the pivot andfis fixed to the inner section, said hub.

i. The combination and a source of light therelantern frame, a source of 1i and a rockingfarm fixed to in an automobile, of

in, with a pivot attached to the lantern frame, a series of curved nesting sections loosely hung on said pivot, a vertical spring in which is a vertical slot attached at its upperend to the outer side of the inner section, a headed pin on the inner side of the outer section, and a similar vertical spring in which is a vertical slot attached at its upper end to the outer side and a similar headed pin on the inner side ofeach intermediate section, each of said pins passing throu h the slot of the spring attached to the a joining face of the adjoining section, a hub which passes through the othemside of the lantern frame opposite the pivot and is fixed to the inner section, a rockin arm fixed to said hub, a rod ivoted to said arm, and an operating edal ocated on the footboard and pivoted to said arm.

5. The combination in an automobile, of ht therein, a pivot attached to the lantern rame, a hub revolubly mounted in said frame opposite the pivot, and a rocking arm carried by the hub, with an inside curved section loosely mounted on the pivot and fixed to the hub, a vertical spring so'fixed at one end to the convex side of said section as to bear yieldingly a ainst an adjoining middle section, a vertica slot therein, said middle section being loosel pivoted on saidpivot and hub, a pin passe through saidslot into the adjoimng side of the middle section, a similar spring so attached to the outside of the middle sec tion as to bear against the outer section, a slot therein, said outer section being loosely pivoted on said pivot and hub, a pin passed through said slot intothe adjoining side of the outer section, with means for oscillating said rocking arm from the drivers seat.

6. A' shade for automobile search lights,

'which comprises a series of curved sections of different sizes which nest one within the other and vare pivoted at the same points,

and connections between them whereby they may be ra sed successively, combined with means operative from the drivers seat for raising and lowering said sections.

I 4. A shade forr automobile search lights, which comprises a series of curved sectlons of different sizes which nest one within the other and are pivoted at the same points, and connections between them whereby they may be raised successively, combined with means operative from the drivers seat for raising and lowering said sections, and

means for locking the parts in open and closed positions.

8. In an automobile, lights, curved sections of different sizes which nest one within the other andare pivoted at the same points inside each search light, connections between the sections of each light whereby they may be raised successively,

a plurality of search each of which comprises a series of and a rockiiig arm for each light attached In testimony whereof I hereto affix my to olne of said sectionis,l combined withha signature in presence of two witnesses.

sin e 0 eratin pe a proximate t e Y dri x rers s at, megns for locking said pedal FRANK HARRIS 5 in difierent' positions, a pedal shaft, and a Witnesses: a

plurality of connecting rods between said GARDNER -W. PEARSON,

rocking arms'and the pedal shaft. NATHAN D. PRATT. 

